


Collateral Damage

by shihari



Category: Banana Fish (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Cuddling, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Established Relationship, Hugs, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, PTSD, Sleepy Kisses
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-31
Updated: 2018-10-31
Packaged: 2019-08-11 04:35:11
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,922
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16468850
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shihari/pseuds/shihari
Summary: Ash had a lot of good days.But he had some bad ones too.





	Collateral Damage

**Author's Note:**

> Oh what do you know! another bananafish fic! Still haven’t read the manga because I’m too scared to read about a certain character’s death!! So the characters are clearly based off the anime. These boys are taking over my life. I hope you enjoy!!!
> 
> (Feel free to leave comments!! I love reading them, even if I barely ever respond) :) <3

Eiji considered Ash to be a pretty talkative person. Well, he was that way around Eiji, atleast. 

It was normal for the blonde to keep a pretty stoic expression about his face, but he was never afraid to crack wise remarks or rant about certain situations he had been in recently. He would laugh, smile, grimace, and react in ways a functional human being would while conversing with someone else. He would talk for hours on end with Eiji while they ate, and even made occasional jokes about the characters in the movies they’d watch together.

Overall, he had a lot of good days.

But, he had some bad days too.

On his bad days, Ash shut down completely. He would speak as little as possible, refrain from eating, and lock himself in another room for hours. Eiji tried his best to help as much as he could on these days, but Ash only wanted to be left alone with his thoughts. He’d often get irritated with Eiji if he tried to intervene in any way, shape, or form.

It truly hurt Eiji’s feelings when Ash ignored him on these days, but he would never tell the boy that of course. He knew it wasn’t anything personal against him. He knew that these bad days were just caused by Ash’s relentless thoughts. The thoughts that clawed at his brain until he finally succumbed to them.

Yet sometimes, though very rarely, Ash would come to Eiji on these bad days.

Like today.

Ash had been out all morning, while Eiji sat inside reading a book under the covers with a cup of tea on the bedside table. Ash had woken up long before Eiji had, so Eiji was completely unaware of what kind of day Ash was having. All he got was a note that appeared to read “Out.” in sloppy english. 

However, Eiji knew exactly what kind of day it was as soon as Ash sauntered through the door way of their bedroom.

The fact that Ash didn’t make a single sound as he approached was a dead giveaway in the first place. Aside from that, he kept his tired eyes locked onto the carpet floor, while his messy blonde locks draped over the majority of his face. His mouth was also curled into a very subtle frown, as his hands clenched into tight fists by his sides.

He practically had a gloomy aura engulfing him that set off a million red flags in Eiji’s mind.

The black haired boy cautiously closed his book and set it onto the table beside him.

“Hey sweetheart.” Eiji crooned, trying to raise his voice in a way that made Ash feel welcomed.

Ash visibly started gnawing at the inside of his cheek. He kept his static stare straight down to the ground, directly in between his whitening knuckles. 

Noting this, Eiji decided to take the initiative. He removed the mahogany blanket from his lower body and flipped it aside, opening up a space between his legs for Ash to lay.

“Come here, Ash.” The black haired boy purred, patting his thigh with one hand. 

Ash stood completely still for a second, evidently jumbling around the thoughts in his head before complying with Eiji’s request.

He slowly shuffled over to the foot of the bed, and let one of his hands dip into the mattress. Ash crawled across the bed until he found the spot between Eiji’s legs, twisting his body into a comfortable position while simultaneously wrapping his arms around Eiji’s waist. Once he was settled, he lifted his head up a bit, and his hair finally fell from his eyes. 

The boy had the same magnificent emerald eyes as Eiji had grown to adore, but his irises seemed as if they were completely clouded with despair. Bags laid heavy under his eyes as well. By the looks of his complexion, he probably hadn’t slept the majority of the night before. 

Ash gazed at Eiji for a split second, squinted his eyelids as if he was trying to hold back his tears, and then buried his face into Eiji’s chest.

Eiji wanted nothing more than to tell Ash that everything was okay, and that he was going to be alright. Even if it wasn’t true. But the last time he tried that, Ash lashed out at him because apparently he ‘had no idea’ what Ash was going through. Therefore he had ‘no right to say what was okay and what wasn’t’.

A pang of anguish squeezed Eiji’s heart as he felt small wet blotches form against his t-shirt. He wished more than anything that he could stop the boy from crying, but he understood that just being there for him like this was the best he could possibly do for his partner.

So, to suffice for the lack of words, Eiji settled with running his fingers through Ash’s hair for a while, and eventually, Eiji felt the muscles in Ash’s neck relax as he combed through his beautiful golden locks. The iron grip around Eiji’s waist loosened significantly as well, and the rapid heartbeat banging against his stomach slowed down inside of Ash’s chest.

“Do you want to talk about it?” Eiji asked as soon as he noticed Ash mellowing out a bit, even though he already knew the answer he was going to get. Though it would be no, he always made sure that Ash knew he was free to open up to him at any time. 

Ash shook his head into the fabric of Eiji’s shirt, as expected.

Eiji tucked Ash’s bangs behind his ear in order to press his lips against the boy’s temple. 

“Alright,” Eiji whispered into his skin. “That’s okay too.” 

Ash sniffled.

The older boy continued to brush his fingertips down Ash’s head, only stopping at the base of his neck in order to bring his hand back up to the zigzagged part in his golden hair. 

Eiji couldn’t help but let out a relieved sigh  
as he felt Ash’s heart steady out to its natural beat.

While Ash recuperated, they stayed in that position for what seemed like hours. Usually, Eiji would get bored with just lazing around all day. But today, Eiji was fully content with just feeling the thumping of Ash’s heart against his skin.

Eventually, Ash sat up slowly, sitting back on his heels. Eiji kept his hands planted firmly on the boy’s slim waist in a sort of possessive fashion. 

The blonde simply rubbed his eyes and stretched his arms high up in the air as if he wasn’t just having a full fledged mental breakdown. 

“Thank you.” He said within a yawn.

“Feeling any better?” Eiji questioned timidly, gently rubbing up and down Ash’s sides. 

Ash nodded before curling back down into Eiji’s chest. 

“Yes. Now I’m just sleepy.” He spoke.

Eiji laughed softly, now tracing up Ash’s protruding spine with his finger tips.

“Well I’m glad. You can stay here with me if you’d like.”

“I wasn’t planning on moving in the first place,” Ash teased with a quirked eyebrow. “You’re trapped.”

“Oh no. What a shame.” Eiji groaned with an abundance of fake despair.

Ash craned his neck up and cracked a smile at Eiji. The first smile Ash had mustered up all day.

Eiji was flooded with a sense of pride, not only in himself for cheering up his boyfriend, but for Ash being able to conjure up just the tiniest bit of happiness on such a bad day.

Eiji suddenly had the overwhelming urge to kiss him. 

So he did.

Well, he tried to.

He lunged forewards a bit too forcefully and clanked their teeth together with a loud crack.

They both yelped, lurching backwards while caressing their front teeth with their fingers. There was no visible damage, but it was quite painful for the both of them.

However, Ash took one look at Eiji’s petrified expression and bursted into a fit of laughter. 

“Easy there, tiger.” Ash said in between his cackles. He lightly flicked his boyfriend on the nose, before wiping away a happy tear from his eye. 

Eiji shoved the teenager away out of sheer humiliation.

“Oh shut it, you!” Eiji barked over his boyfriend’s giggles, but the corners of his lips tinged up in a smirk.

He grabbed the back of Ash’s head with a forceful grip and lead the blonde’s lips directly in line with his own. 

This attempt was much more successful.

Though his laughter was cut off, Ash hummed contently as he let himself melt into the kiss. His arms snaked up Eiji’s torso shortly before intuitively resting around his neck. Eiji’s instinct, however, was to rub his thumbs over Ash’s cheeks while he slid his tongue along his boyfriend’s bottom lip. Ash left his mouth slightly agape as an unspoken sign of permission for Eiji to continue. Their tongues lazily danced together for a while, until Eiji pulled away with a wet smack. 

Instead, he began to leave a trail of sloppy kisses that started from Ash’s jaw, across his cheek, and up to his temple. As he worked his way up to the arch of his eyebrow, Ash let out a tiny giggle, whining that ‘it tickles!’, which just inclined Eiji to peck more kisses onto his boyfriend’s skin. 

After Eiji was finished with terrorizing the boy with his insistent kissing, he pushed his forehead against Ash’s while cupping the side of his boyfriend’s face delicately. Ash closed his eyes as Eiji faintly traced along his cheekbone. 

Anyone could tell that the love the two boys had for each other ran much deeper than a simple phrase like ‘i love you’ could possibly describe. These were the moments where the two would simply marvel at each other’s presences. This was a subtle, yet intense gesture of adoration. Sincere moments like these were what reflected their feelings the most.

“You sure you’re alright now?” Eiji whispered into the small space between their lips.

Ash offered Eiji a weary smile before gingerly brushing his nose against Eiji’s.

“I’m the best I can be today,” Ash began. “You really don’t need to worry about me, Eiji. You know how I get sometimes. This is nothing new.”

Eiji’s face flushed out of embarrassment. He hated how he always went so overboard with his worrying. 

“Yes, I know, Ash. I just wanted to be absolutely certain. I’ll do anything to make you a little happier.” Eiji confessed, finally seperating their foreheads.

Ash gave Eiji a lopsided smile. He cupped the side of the black haired boy’s jaw and planted a firm kiss on his partner’s cheek.

“I know, baby. But you do more than enough already.” Ash mumbled into Eiji’s skin.

That was the first time Eiji had heard Ash say something so heartfelt. The heart in his chest skipped a beat as he hugged Ash’s waist tightly. 

Ash, however, groaned in discomfort, probably due to a mixture of saying such a cheesy thing to Eiji along with the arms squeezing around his ribcage like Eiji’s life depended on it.

“Ok, enough. That’s all you’re getting from me, loser. Who knew that you could get so clingy. Hands off of me. I’m hungry.”

Now that was the Ash Eiji had grown to know so well. He had the love of his life back in his arms. Well, more or less desperately trying to pry himself out of them.

It seemed like the rest of this bad day was going to be a pretty good one.


End file.
